Can-heading machine.



PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

J. A; GRAY.

CAN HEADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1901.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED SEPT. '29, 1903.

J. A! GRAY CAN HEADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1901.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2 no MODEL.

ina-= gmiszi PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

J. A. GRAY.

CAN HEADING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 8,1901.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

No. 740,008. 4 PATENTED SEPT..29,1903.

J. A. GRAY. CAN HEADING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 8 1901.

N0 MODEL.- 6 SHEETS-SHEET 40 PATBNTBD SEPT. 29, 1903..

J. A. GRAY. CAN 'HEADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8-, 1901.

6 SHEETSSHEET 5.

N0 IODEL.

TNE NOFEKS wrrsns 00., PHOTOiITQQ, WASHINGTON. n. c.

' Nu. 740,,ooa. PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

11 A. GRAY.

gm Emmm MAG-HIRE. mmuewzmx run we; 8 190-1.

K0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

UNITED STATES Iatented September 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CAN-HEADING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 740,008, dated September29, 1903. Application filed August 8, 1901. serial No. 71,382. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it yrmy concerm Be it known that I, JAMES A. GRAY, a citizenof the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the "county of SanFrancisco and State of California, haveinvented certain new andusefulImprovements in Can-Heading Machines, of which the following is aspecifica tion.

My invention relates to machines for placing ends or heads upon tubularsheet-metal bodies; and my object is to simplify the construction ofmachines in this class, to reduce the number of operative parts, and tocheapen the cost of production. The accomplishment of these objectsimplies also a machine of great durability, an absence of small parts,reduced liability to get out of order, and infrequent necessity forrepairs. In spite of the simplicity of its construction my machine is ahigh-speed automatic header, comparing very favorably in this respectwith rotary headers of apparently greater capacity. Reasons for thiswill further hereinafter appear.

The essential features of a machine .em-

bodying my invention are cooperating jaws adapted to open and close,with which are associated means for supplying can-bodies and can-heads,mechanism for operating the jaw members, and means for placing a head orheads upon each body. The movement of the can-heads and can-bodiesthrough the machine is of remarkable simplicity and directness, suchbodies and heads being received into the separated jaws, inclosed bythem, headed while so inclosed, and discharged from the jaws in the sameline of direction at which they entered. The can members are 'notcarriedfrom place to place in the machine, but simply pass through it for adistance about equal to their own diameter,

their passage being momentarilyinterrupted In high-speed while the headsare applied. rotary headers much time is lost in carrying a can from itspoint of entrance to its point of discharge, during-much of which timethe machine is inactive as regards that particular can. In the presentmachine the conservation of time'as regards single cans has been carriedto a highdegree of perfection.

-A machine in which my invention is embodied and which shows it in itssimplest form is herein described, and sh own in the accompanyingdrawings. It is a machine for heading salmon-cans with one head orbottom, but illustrates the principle of the invention completely.Further developments of the -machine, so as, for instance, to apply twoheads to one can-body, will be obvious to those skilled in this artafter reading the following description and the drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the whole machine with thefeed-passages in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3is across-section at a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a Fig. 5 is a dematically throwthe machine into gear. 7 Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are illustrations of themovements of' the movable pairs of jaws. Fig. 9 is an elevation of amovable can-head guard in position when upper jaws are open. Fig. 10 isa similar view of the same parts, but with upper jaws closed. Fig. 11 isa horizontal section of the same parts.

spective view of one jaw member. Fig. 13 is a plan-view of a modifiedform of machine differing from the view shown in Fig. 1 in that twocan-heads are applied to a can-body by two oppositely-acting plungers.Fig. 14 is a plan View showing another modification of the invention inwhich two heads are applied'to a can-body by a single plunger. Fig.

15 is a plan view whichillustrates' a double Fig. 12 is a permachine,each part of which acts substantially like the machine of Fig. 13 and inwhich bymeans of two plungers, a central abutment,

and four can-head feeds two heads can be placed simultaneously upon twocans. ,Fig.

shown in Fig. 1, the construction-being such that by means of twoplnngers and a central lfi represents a slight modification of Fig. 15and is reallya duplication of the machine cross-section, Fig. 3, for theupper members 0 O and the lower members D D, the members O C forming onepair, and the members D D forming another pair, of cooperating jaws. Themeeting faces of all the jaws are shaped so that when brought together,Fig. 8, they will conjointly surround and closely fit the can-bodies andcan-heads, and such meeting surfaces have shoulders c, Fig. 12, formingan enlarged seat for the can-heads and forming a space around the edgeof the canbody which enables the two to be forced together. If roundcans are being headed, the face of each jaw will be hollowed out to anarc of ninety degrees, all forming together a sectional circular clampor mold. The perspective view of one upper jaw, Fig. 12, gives a clearidea of its preferred shape and of the shapes of all four, which aresubstantially the same. Each has two rearwardly-projecting arms 3 and 4,both of which are beveled outwardly to fit the guides of the frame, andeach arm 3 has an extension 5, projecting downwardly in upper jaws andupwardly in lower jaws.

Adrivingshaft E is journaled in bearings 7 on the supporting structureand has the mitor-gears 8 and 9,which through similar gears drive atright angles the counter-shafts F and G, journaled at opposite ends ofthe machine. Each counter-shaft carries two disks H I, havingcam-grooves 1O 11. These cams project into the spaces between the arms 3and 4, Fig. 1, and the grooves engage with rollers 1213. Rollers 12 areon the upper jaws and engage grooves 10. Rollers 13 are on the lowerjaws and engage grooves 11, and all the rollers are preferably journaledat the center line of the combined jawsthat is, animaginary line betweenan arm 3 or 4 and the extension or projection 5.

Standards 16 17 on the machine-frame form a feed-passage for can-bodies,to which is connected any suitable feed device, such as thegravity-chute 1S. Plates 19, secured to one of the standards, form aparallelvertical passage 20 forcan-heads. In the assemblydrawings Figs.1, 2, 3 the jaws are in the position of Fig. 7, with lower jaws closedand upper jaws wide open. Hence both can-body and can-head can fallfreely upon the closed lower jaws in position for heading. The next canbody and head rest immediately upon their predecessors. No stops,spacing means, or feed-controlling devices are employed in thefeed-passages. Referring to Fig. 2 and comparing cam-disk H, which conhtrols the upper jaws, with cam-disk I, which the head is applied by aplunger K, operated at right angles to the motion of the jaws, Figs. 1and 2. The plunger has side guides 25 in the frame and carries a roller26 in the path of a cam 27 on the main shaft E. Springs 28 bear on theplunger and throw it out,when the cam releases it. The can and headbeing now clamped and held by the jaws in proper relativepositionforheading,theplnngerforces the head upon the body against theresistance of an abutment 29, shaped like the plunger, and then springsback, the cam having passed. At this time cam-disks I have made thehalfrevolution before referred to and act on the lower jaws, openingthem fully, as shown in Fig. 6, and the headed can drops out, havingmoved from its entrance to its exit a distance of only about its owndiameter, which is the combined thicknesses of the jaws. The cams whichoperate the lower jaws are shaped to give them a single continuousmovement both in opening and closing; but the cams H, which operate theupper jaws, give them a special motion fortwo reasons. Thisisillustrated in Fig. 6,which is the position assumed following that ofFig. 8. When the can has been headed, both pairs of jaws commence toseparate, and the lower jaws complete their opening movement anddischarge the headed can, but the cams H, which operate the upper jaws,are so shaped as to retard their opening movement, causing them toseparate slightly, Fig. 6, in order, first, to loosen the can justheaded from any adhesion to the upper jaws, and, secondly, to let thesucceeding can position itself ready to fall, as shown. The meetingedges of the jaws are preferably beveled or curved slightly, forming aseat 134, Fig. 6. The upper jaws are not opened widely enough to admitthe succeedingcan until the lower jaws have been closed, Fig. 7.

In order to keep the machine running easily and steadily and to preventbacklash, I use an adjustable friction or brake on one of the shafts,such as the counter-shaft F and which is shown in detail in Fig. 4. Theend of the shaft has a tight collar 30, surrounded by a frictional band31, of leather or other suitable material. Bolted to the machine-frameat 32 is a clamp 33, which exerts a pressure on the friction and whichby a screw 34 can be regulated to adjust such pressure. This acts as agovernor for the whole system of shafts and gearing and causes them torun regularly and smoothly, as also the reciprocating parts derivingmotion from them.

Under some circumstances, as when running a small lot of cans throughthe machine, it is desirable to have the driving-shaft and the machinestop automatically when their work isfinished without stopping thedriving-pulley, and I have therefore devised an attachment whereby thesuccessive can-bodies descending in the feed-passage throw the machineinto gear. When the supply fails, the

machine stops. This attachment is a conven- I prefer to sup- It'is shownin Figs.

V 1, 2, and 3 and in detail in Fig. 5. The drivceive the pawl when themachine is ing-shaft E has a fixed clutch-ring 35, in a recess of whichis a pawl 36, held outwardly by a' spring 37. The hub ofthedriving-pulley E fits this sleeve and has notches 38 to redriving. Thepawl can be forced into its recess and held there, with driving-shaftand clutchring'stationary and pulley E revolving idly, by an arm 39,secured at one end of rockshaft 40. At the other/end of shaft 40.is alink 41, to which is connected a lever 42, pivoted to the verticalstandards and whose free arm 43 projects into the can-body feed-passage.Figs. 2 and 5 show clearly the operation of this clutch when driving.Should the supply of cans fail, the arm 39 will fall in over the pawl,depressing it into its recess, and hence stopping the clutch-ring 35,the driving-shaft, the driving-pulley. While cans are being'fed,

' the machine drives continuously, as their rapid succession [allows notime for disengagement.

In Figs. 9, 10, and 11 I have shown details of a simple attachment whichI prefer to use for keeping the can head straight and in proper positionuntil the-jaws seize it-along with the body. A loose plate 45, having adouble wedge-shaped lower end 46, forms a movable extension'of the innerwall between the can-body and can-head passages and is guided in thestandards which bound said passages. Tongues 47 are secured to said 45drops by gravity,

wall and recessed into said plate. In the re ceptive position of thejaws, Fig. 9, the plate along with the can head and body, until twoshoulders 48 rest upon the opened upper jaws, which form stops for them.The pointed lower end isnow inter: posed between the can-head andcan-body,

' and'the head is held in its proper vertical position, Fig. 11. I Asthe upper jaws close to position of Fig. 10, they force the plate 45upwardly; but the latter-"acts as a support to the can-head until thejaws'have closed, when the plate rests upon them. The tongues or strips47 bridge the open space above the lowered plate 45, Fig. 9, and preventsucceeding can heads and bodies from striking the top of said plate bymaking a continuous smooth surface of the feed-passage.

This machine for puttingon one head is capable of certain developments,which, it is believed, will be obvious tothose skilled in the artwithout detailed, description or illustration.

applied to a can-body by gearing together the idle ends of the twocounter-shafts by a fourth shaft E, plunger 29 and operating it fromthat shaft and forming a second can-head-feed passage 17 opposite theone shown .and forming the;v

meeting jaw faces with two shoulders c,

and all mechanism excepting making the, abutment 29 a movable .Second.In the machine shown, Fig. 1, the can-body is held ii -position whileone head is applied by a stationary abutment 29. It is obvious, as shownin, Fig. 14, that a canhead passage 17 can be provided in front of thatabutment,which will supply another canhead, into which the end of thebody can be pushed by the single plunger shown, thus applying two headswith one plunger. In this case also the jaw-faces will have twoshoulders c, Fig. 17.

In Fig. 15 is shown another modification .in.which the heading mechanismis duplicated, althoughthe principle of each part re- -mainsthe same,and the-operating mechanism is all geared and connected together, sothat it runs as one machine. In this case there is a central abutment29, Fig. 15, two can-head-feed passages 17 at opposite sides of theabutment, the usual can-head-feed passages shown in Fig. 1, and twoplungers K like those in Fig. 1 driven by such a general arrangement ofgears as has been described in connection with Fig. 13 and is shownthere. Fig. 16 is, however, more prop erly a duplication of Fig. 1,because while in Fig. 15 two heads are put upon each canbody in Fig. 16such duplicate mechanisms put only one head upon each can-body, as inFig. 1. as in Fig. 15; but the can-head passages of Fig. 15 adjacent tosaid abutmentare lacking. The arrangement of gearing in Fig. 16 issubstantially the same as in Figs. 13 and 15. Such a double machine,Fig. 15 or Fig. 16, would be somewhat cheaper in construction than twocomplete single machines; but there are advantages in using two completesingle machines, such as the ability to shut one down while running theother. I mention these modifications because they embody the es'-'sential principles of my invention and not necessarily because Iconsider them as improvements upon the construction shown.

Other modifications and equivalents within the spirit of myinventionmay'be employed, and I therefore do not wish to limit myself todetails of construction shown and described.

what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In acan-heading machine, a pair of movable, jaws, and a second pair of jawshaving an independent movement, means for snpplying can-bodies andcan-heads to said jaws, means for effecting .the said independentmovements of the jaws, and heading means; whereby can bodies and headspass'through u 5 the opened jaws of one pair and are supported First. Itis obvious that two heads can beby the closed jaws of the other pair,are then fSllIlOllDdGd and inclosed by all the jaws, are ,headed whileso inclosed, and arethen discharged through the opened second pair of;]&WS. I

2. In a can-heading machine, a pair ofmovableupper jaws, and a pair oflower jawsihaving an independent movement, means for sup-;

. "5 Having thus fully described myinvention,

5 the opened upper jaws, and are supported by the closed lower jaws, arethen surrounded and inclosed by all the jaws, are headed whileso'inclosed, and are then discharged, headed, through the opened lowerjaws.

3. In a can-heading machine, two pairs of coiiperating movable jaws, incombination with each other and with mechanism for operating saidrespective pairs of jaws independently to produce the followingsuccessive results; the closing of one pair of jaws whilethe other pairare opened to admit the members of a sheet-metal can; the closing of theother pair of jaws, so that the two pairs conjointly inclose saidmembers; and the opening of the one pair of jaws to discharge the saidmembers.

4. In a can-heading machine, two pairs of cooperating movable jaws, incombination with each other and with heading mechanism, and mechanismfor operating said respective pairs of jaws independently and headingmechanism to produce the following successive results; the closing ofone pair of jaws while the other pair are opened to admit the members ofa sheet--metal can; the closing of the other pair of jaws so that thetwo pairs conjointly inclose said members, the uniting of said memberswhile so inclosed and the opening of the one pair of jaws to dischargethe said united members.

5. In a can-heading machine, two rectilinearly-movable upper jaws, tworectilinearlymovable lower jaws, each pair having meetin g faces soshaped as to partly surround and conform to the shape of can-heads andcanbodies, heading means, and means for operating said pairs of jawsindependently, so as to admit, surround and discharge said can bodiesand heads.

6. In a can-heading machine, a pair of cooperating upper jaws, and apair of cooperating lower jaws, all having meeting faces so shaped as toconjointly surround and conform to the shape of can bodies and heads,and means for operating said pairs of jaws independently so as toproduce alternate open and closed positions of the pairs of jaws, and anintermediate position when all the jaws are closed.

7. In a can-heading machine cooperating upper jaws and cooperating lowerjaws,adapted to be assembled to inclose can-bodies and can-heads,heading means, and cams connected to the individual jaw members; saidcams being constructed so that after the assembling of the jaws and theheadingof the can, the lower jaws are opened immediately to their fullextent, while the upper jaws are temporarily retarded in their openingmovement.

8. In a can-heading machine, a device for receiving and holding canbodies and heads and for discharging headed cans, comprising two inletmembers, adapted to meet and recede from each other, and to inclose onehalf the peripheries of can bodies and heads, and two outlet membersadapted to meet and re cede from each other, and to inclose the otherhalf of said peripheries, in combination with means for placing saidheads on said bodies, and with means connected to said members and tosaid heading means, for producing the following sequence of operation:the opening of the inlet members so that can bodies and heads arereceived within the closed outlet members; the closing of the inletmembers while the outlet members remain closed and so completelysurrounding the bodies and heads; the placing of the heads upon thebodies while so surrounded; and the opening of the outlet members todischarge the headed can.

9. In a can-heading machine, passages for can-heads and can-bodies inwhich said articles fall by gravity, in combination with movable jawsadapted to receive, clamp, and discharge said articles, and means forclosing said jaws together across the discharge ends of all of saidpassages, whereby the jaws themselves act as cut-olfs to succeedingarticles, while clamping preceding articles.

10. In a can-heading machine, a main frame, having adjacent passages forsupplying canbodies and can heads, reciprocating jaws guided in saidframe and moving in close proximity to the discharge end of all of saidpassages; and means for reciprocating said jaws; whereby on thereception of can members within the opened jaws, succeeding can memberscan rest upon their predecessors, and whereby on the closing of the jawsthe succeeding members are cut off and rest upon the closed jaws.

11. In a can-heading machine, jaws for receiving, clamping anddischarging can members, heading means, a system of drivinggearing,which includes a clutch mechanism, for operating said jaws and saidheading means, a passage for feeding said can members and connections tosaid clutch mechanism adapted to be operated by said can members.

12. In a can-heading machine, jaws for receiving, clamping anddischarging can members, heading means, a system of gearing foroperating said jaws and said heading means, a driving-pulley normallyout of gear with said system of gearing, a passage for feeding said canmembers, a clutch mechanism, and connections to said clutch mechanismoperated by said can members for gearing the pulley to the gear system.

13. Inacan-heading machine, havingopenbottomed unobstru cted passagesfor can-heads and can-bodies, cooperating jaws conjointly openingtoreceive, and closing to surround the said can members, and avertically-movable guard in the said passages, adapted to accompany thecan members into said jaws when opened, and so to keep them separatedand positioned while it is resting upon said open jaws, and to beremoved from said jaws by the closing movement of the latter.

14. In a can-heading machine, parallel passages for can-bodies andcan-heads, a wall separating said passages, a vertically-movableplateformiug an extension of said wall,

cooperating jaws, conjointly opening to receive and closing to surroundsaid can bodies and heads, and a double wedge-shaped extremity to saidplate; whereby said extremity accompanies the can bodies and heads intoand rests upon the open jaws; and is removed therefrom by the bearing ofthe closing'jaws against such double wedge.

15. In a can-heading machine, parallel feedpassages for can bodies andheads, a wall separating them, a'vertically-movable plate forming anextension of said wall, and tongues or bridges secured to the wall andrecessed into the movable plate, for preserving a continuous surfacebetween them when said plate has moved away from the wall.

16. In a-can-headingmachine,parallelfeedpassages, separated'by a'wall, amovableplateforming an extension of said wall and adapted to fall bygravity; cooperating jaws a pair of jaws having a face shaped so as topartially surround can bodies and heads, parallel'arms extending fromsaid face and forming slides, an extension of one of said arms, and aroller journaled to said extension with its axis in the plane of animaginary line'at the junction of said arm and extension.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig- 'n ature,'in presence of twowitnesses, this 27th day of July, 1901. I

JAMES A. GRAY.

Witnesses:

L. W. SEELY, F.-M. BURT.

